Category Archives: Homestead and Garden

Homestead and Garden, Oklahoma culture

Fowl Thang: A Quail, Brown, Blue, Duck and Turkey Egg Throwdown

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Top to bottom: brown, blue/green, quail, duck and turkey eggs.

All I wanted was a dozen eggs from the farmer’s market.

But then I saw they had both brown and blue eggs.  “Oh well,” I thought.  “I can always use a couple dozen eggs. Heck, I could probably go three and be just fine.”

The words, “…just fine” were still hanging in the air of my psyche when the farmer asked, “Have you ever tried turkey eggs?”

My eyes got a little wider, I glanced at my daughter who was standing beside me, grinned, then looked back at him. “Well, nooooo…do you have turkey eggs for sale?”

“Oh yeah,” he smiled.  “We’ve got turkey eggs and duck eggs.”

He bent over and started looking around in the coolers below him before I could protest.

“Duck eggs?  Are they weird?  What do they TASTE like?”  I was talking to myself in rapid-fire when he popped up with a half-carton of turkey eggs…with only five, beautiful, perfect, lightly brown speckled good size beauties nested in the cardboard.

“These are $3.00 a half-dozen, so you’ll have to do the math.”  He placed a carton of duck eggs on the table as he was explaining to me that I was going to be calculating my own grocery tab.  My son-in-law got out his phone, opened the calculator app and I breathed a sign of relief.

Well, we were set.  Four different kinds of eggs with words of preparation from the farmer: “Have you ever eaten turkey or duck eggs before? [he waited for all of us to nod our heads “no”]  Well, okay.  Then I won’t tell you what to expect.  I know what I think about the differences, but come back and let me know what YOU think.” I really liked that guy. If he only knew how impressionable I am, then he would understand how much he saved me from preconceived notions about these eggs.

About the time he finished his comments, an idea hit me.  I decided right then and there that we needed to have a Brown, Blue, Duck and Turkey Egg Throwdown.  My daughter volunteered to help judge, then so did my son-in-law.  Okay, we were going to DO this!

But then I found quail eggs from another producer…so I bought them too.

I was loaded up with almost $20 worth of eggs and felt giddy. I thought of my friend’s phrase, “Yippee, skippy!” and my feet did a slight jig on the way to the car.  My kiddos and I set the time for the throwdown, parted ways and headed to our separate destinations.  When I got home, I opened all the cartons again, looked at the beautiful differences of the various varieties and smiled.  I couldn’t wait until the following day!

But I did, and it finally got here.

So, what did we find out?  Continue reading Fowl Thang: A Quail, Brown, Blue, Duck and Turkey Egg Throwdown →

Homestead and Garden, Oklahoma culture

The Old is Brand New: Urban Agrarian Opens in Farmer’s Market

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It feels good to be in the Farmer's Market District again. Thanks, Urban Agrarian.

I’m going to tell you a little story about how you might achieve that “all is right with the world” feeling.  Pay attention because the instructions are specific.

First, you need to drive to the new Urban Agrarian storefront location at 1235 SW 2nd.  It’s important the trip is planned sometime between Wednesday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Otherwise, you’ll miss that good feeling I’m telling you about…well, because the doors will be closed.

Once you pull up to the old Farmer’s Market Building and see the “Urban Agrarian” signage outside, you’ll already begin to understand what I’m trying to describe.

Hanging from the ceiling above the wooden entrance and walkway, words like “Meats,” “Greens,” or “Jams” let you know a bit of what you’ll find inside.  Those featured products and so much more greet you when you swing open the door and step at once both back in time, and into the future. Continue reading The Old is Brand New: Urban Agrarian Opens in Farmer’s Market →

My Little Victory Garden

My Little Victory Garden, 2011: Goodbye…and Salt, Pepper, Oil

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My radishes look quasi-ready to harvest, my green onions keep things fresh in my kitchen, my spinach and lettuce are playing tag with the freezing weather…and I realized I probably need to shut down our My Little Victory Garden posts.  Why?  My garden is basically taking a nap, and although my cooking with local vegetables will continue as long as I can find them, I thought this series could use some rest.

Okay, I could use some rest from this series.  There, I said it.  Before I sign off until next Spring, however, I thought I would share with you the secret that keeps amazing me time and again.  What is that, you ask?  Well, it’s the secret that to eat well, you usually only need salt, pepper and oil.

Oh sure, saffron or special fillers are always a great thing, but for me – if I had to choose a day in and day out routine – it would be none other than delicious food from the Earth, barely enhanced with salt, pepper and oil (SPO).  Here’s an example…

Bok Choy grown in the Tulsa area (Yang Farm), with chili-oil, salt and pepper. Continue reading My Little Victory Garden, 2011: Goodbye…and Salt, Pepper, Oil →

Homestead and Garden

“I Used Only the Good Notes”: How Jack Black Smacked Me Into Holiday Shape

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I sank into my precious recliner and asked Mick for “the clicker.”

Having control of the remote control is control I rarely have.

My Thanksgiving visitors were gone, I had just remade all the beds and done several loads of laundry and I needed a break. So I channel-surfed.  And surfed.  I have cable TV and couldn’t find one program I wanted to watch.  So I compromised my principals and began watching the middle of a movie I only somewhat like.

“The Holiday” was getting bashed over and over by my cranky thought process and I almost gave up on the television watching altogether.

“Jude Law is mostly convincing but is paired with Cameron Diaz who is entirely unconvincing. Kate Winslet is fairly good, but is paired with Jack Black who is an unconvincing romantic lead. Cripes, the only true redeeming value in this movie is Eli Wallach.  Please, please let there be more of Eli and less of everyone else.”  I’m ashamed to admit that this was my truly snippy line of thought as I evaluated the value of sitting there another few moments.

But then there was a fifteen-second, truly wonderful moment with Miles and Iris.

Miles (played by Jack Black) had been working on theme music and was demonstrating his ideas to Iris (played by Kate Winslet), narrating the scenarios and emotions that accompanied his musical thoughts as he played.  He then switched into a sweet, flowing melody and told her that he wrote a theme for her.  As their demeanor changed, he added: “…and I used only the good notes.”

I was verclempt.  My throat was completely choked with emotion because at that moment, not only did Jack Black pull off “Mr. Romantic Lead,” but he gave me a thought to carry throughout this entire Holiday Season.

I want to use “only the good notes” for those I care about…as I chose my Christmas gifts, as I budget the precious time I have off work between semesters and as I think about how to acknowledge those I love.

“Only the good notes” is not always what I have in mind when I think about “getting through” the holidays.  Yet, “only the good notes” is a wonderful frame for me to reconsider how I approach them.

So today, I’m wishing you a melody for your heart that you can pass on to others in your life…with only the good notes, delivered carefully and purely to their destination.

Love,

[kelly]

Homestead and Garden

Heavenly Handbags at “Rawhide ~ Western Culture” in Oklahoma City

Have you ever driven down Broadway, just south of N.W. 10th Street, glanced at Coffee Slingers around the Automobile Alley area of downtown, then seen that super-cool neon red "Rawhide" sign? This is THAT store. A store worth a visit.

“The bicycle shop is gone. Bummer.  I’m sad about that because I was dreaming of this $800 model I was going to ask my family to buy me when I finished my doctorate degree…”

These were my thoughts as I ordered my iced latte from Coffee Slingers.  “Have you visited the new antique store that took the place of the bike shop yet?” I asked the barista.

“No,” she replied.  “I can’t believe I haven’t just WALKED over there…it looks awesome through the window.  Have YOU visited Rawhide yet?”

“Uh….” I hesitated.  “Um, is that the store with that cool sign a couple of doors down?”

“Yeah,” she answered.  “If there’s any store you need to check out around here, it’s that one.  AND ‘Shop Good.’  Have you tried that?  You really need to check it out too!”

Okay.  I could tell I’d been living under a rock for a while.  So I went a couple of doors down.  I love baristas.  They tell it like it is.  If there’s any store you need to check out around 10th and Broadway, it IS “Rawhide.”  Here’s why… Continue reading Heavenly Handbags at “Rawhide ~ Western Culture” in Oklahoma City →

Homestead and Garden

Rustic or Refined, Oklahoma Soap Makers Are Something Special

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Soaps by Colleen Thornton, Farmer and Owner of Heaven Sent Food and Fiber

I’ve always loved a really good bar of soap.  I have been rummaging around the soap shelves and “close out” sections of Tuesday Morning, TJ Maxx, Ross Dress for Less, and any other nook or cranny where there is a happenstance possibility of finding an imported, French-milled box of soaps for years.  And, when I find a box of Shea Butter, Lavender, or Evelyn and Crabtree triple milled Goat Milk soap – well, I just stand there and sniff it for a while.  Then, I take it home and wait until my previous bar is all gone.  Days when I get to open a new bar of soap are days where my happiness factor is multiplied many times.

Colleen Thornton with one of her little "babies."

I had one of those days…times about ten a few weeks ago when a box from Heaven Sent Food and Fiber arrived, full of soaps.  Colleen Thornton, the soap maker and owner of the company, had sent them my way.  We gave away four bars on our Facebook page last week, and I played with the remaining treasures.  Here’s a quick idea if you want to give Oklahoma-made soaps away as special hostess or holiday gifts… Continue reading Rustic or Refined, Oklahoma Soap Makers Are Something Special →

Homestead and Garden, Oklahoma Cooking

Oklahoma Cooking: Persimmon Cheesecake…Perfection

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While I love to create my own dishes, I think just acknowledging that things are “just fine the way they are” is also important.  Such is the case with this “Persimmon Cheesecake” recipe I found on AllRecipes.Com.

Our Oklahoma native persimmons are in perfect form right now, and if you are in the mood to go picking, then I’m in the mood to offer you an absolutely delectible way to prepare them: in cheesecake. In “close-your-eyes-and-dream-of-lovely-things when taking your first bite” cheesecake.

I won’t be redundant…the recipe tells you exactly how to prepare the dessert.  However, I’m going to offer you a few tips.

1) It takes quite a while to de-seed and pulp 2 cups of persimmons.  Make sure you pick enough so you won’t have to go out to the trees a second time. (I mentioned here the quantity you’re most likely to glean from one individual persimmon.) Continue reading Oklahoma Cooking: Persimmon Cheesecake…Perfection →

Homestead and Garden, Oklahoma Cooking

Oklahoma Cooking: Roasted Red and Green Tomatoes With Fresh Herb Dip

This morning, the farmer’s market offered a surprise.  There were a few late peaches out of Porter, and still a good many Jonathan apples fresh off the tree.  However, I was especially happy to see a bowl of freshly ripened small tomatoes from the gentleman who opened Granny Had One in Guthrie years ago.  He said, “I just picked them last night.”  So, I bought three pounds, and went on my way…straight to my kitchen.  Later, I gathered a few peppers and some okra from my own garden and had to cut back several large tomato vines as they were growing out across my lawn.

About 100 small green tomatoes got sacrificed in the process.  Green tomatoes are actually quite versatile.  I knew I could make a small batch of relish, quarter them and put them into a casserole, create another ratatouille with them, or…of course, fry them.  But I wanted to create something simple to go with Sunday lunch or to eat while watching the football game.  So, I decided to try roasting the two ripeness levels of tomatoes together, and creating an herb dip to go with them.  I’m really glad I did, because the recipe worked very nicely.

The dish would stand alone for a vegetarian, serve as a great side to any center of the plate, or be a nice complement to a “dressed up” OR “dressed down” buffet.  Prep time is 10 minutes.  Cooking time is 25 minutes. And, the dip prep time is also ten minutes but can be made while the dish is cooking.  Here we go! First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Next… Continue reading Oklahoma Cooking: Roasted Red and Green Tomatoes With Fresh Herb Dip →

Homestead and Garden, My Little Victory Garden

My Little Victory Garden: “Thank you, Starbucks!”

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Okay, it’s true.  I’ve raged against the machine.  I’ve ranted about diesel fuel being sucked into trucks then its aftermath being spewed into the air I breathe.  And I’ve specifically wailed about Starbucks in general.  I’m all about “keep it local, keep it green, keep it real, know the person behind the businesses you use…”

But I’m also well aware that more than half of the products and services I use are somehow connected to things or people who are NOT local.  And in the winter, when I have to buy produce from the grocery stores on a regular basis, that number might be higher.  And, I also like imported chocolate.  I carefully guard my tiny vial of saffron threads.  And, I fly or drive to explore places in the world I’ve never seen.  So, I try my best to balance my “machine raging” with some sort of tempered logic.  And events like what happened yesterday help with that trying behavior…

You see, Starbucks had a $2.00 special running on their breakfast sandwiches, and if you’ve ever eaten one of their bacon Gouda offerings you’ll know why I was visiting the Hall of Fame Street location at 6:45 in the morning.  Continue reading My Little Victory Garden: “Thank you, Starbucks!” →

Homestead and Garden, Oklahoma culture

Silent Sunday: Gardens and Farmer’s Markets in Oklahoma

Jonathan Apples from Livesay Orchard in Porter, OK ~ at the Urban Agrarian stand, Farmer's Market, Edmond, OK. 10/1/11

I realized yesterday, as I strolled down each aisle of my local farmer’s market, that harvest has not nearly come to a close.  Nor has it in my own garden.  Aside from the fact that we have seen very little moisture, the weather is grand for fruits and vegetables.  And, our water supply is still giving, so we’re still getting.  I’ve decided to share just a few photos of the beautiful harvest I’ve seen over the last month or so…some is mine, some is other producers’.

Enjoy – and have a wonderful Silent Sunday, [kelly]

Sand Hill Vineyards ~ Wines sold at the Edmond Farmer's Market 10/1/11. This vineyard works in conjunction with Redlands Community College to provide a 2-year certificate or degree program in viticulture.

Continue reading Silent Sunday: Gardens and Farmer’s Markets in Oklahoma →

Faith, My Little Victory Garden

Simple Sabbath & My Little Victory Garden: Thank You, God, For Our Food

I learned quite a bit while in China.  For example, the Chinese don’t have a custom of wearing wedding rings to signal they are married.  Therefore, if someone wants to know your marital status, they ask, “Have you solved your problem?”

Our guide also told us that while some time ago their citizens used to greet each other with basically, “How are you?” like we do in the U.S., that custom changed as difficult times were encountered.  They now ask, “Have you eaten?”  And, the answer, in order to protect the friend who is asking so they won’t worry, is always “yes.”

Even if you haven’t eaten for days. Continue reading Simple Sabbath & My Little Victory Garden: Thank You, God, For Our Food →

Homestead and Garden, Oklahoma culture

Oklahoma Food Cooperative Appoints New President

by Bob Waldrop
The board of directors of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative has appointed Lisa Weissenbuehler president, replacing Chelsey Simpson who resigned due to a move out-of-state.

A descendent of Oklahoma pioneers and a native of Tulsa, Weissenbuehler and her husband David were among the first 200 coop members.

She has served as general manager for the co-op and as site manager for the co-op’s northwest Oklahoma City  pick-up location. She has also served as producer assistance technician and been a member of the Standards Committee, the Treasury Team, the Producer Care Team and the board of directors.

The Oklahoma Food Cooperative enables customers to buy directly from Oklahoma farmers and artisans using the co-op’s website, www.oklahomafood.coop

The co-op offers roughly 40 pick-up sites across the state, including several locations in the Oklahoma City area. Eighty cents of every dollar spent at the Oklahoma Food Co-op goes to an Oklahoma producer.

Weissenbuehler says co-op membership is the most convenient way for her to shop for local food and non-food items. “The Oklahoma Food Cooperative has made it possible for us to shop online and pick our order up at a site close to our house,” she says. “We buy all our meat and dairy products from the co-op as well as all of our laundry soap, bath soap, shampoo, lip balm, moisturizer, cosmetics and even greeting cards.

Not only are we making a decision to support Oklahoma producers and keep precious dollars in the local economy, I also have the comfort of knowing EVERY ingredient that goes into each product.”

The co-op has experienced rapid growth since it was founded in 2003, and is poised to expand into new markets in the next two quarters.

“The Oklahoma Food Co-op is on track to facilitate over $800,000 in sales this year and has over 4,000 members—that’s huge considering we were only founded eight years ago,” says Quentin Bomgardner, the coop’s vice president for customers.  “I am confident that Lisa is the right person to lead us forward.”

The co-op is online at www.oklahomafood.coop

My Little Victory Garden

My Little Victory Garden: Canning With Fear, Friends, Fire and Frequency

The first crabapple tree I remember was growing beside my great-grandmother Porter's home in Missouri. Can you find it in the background? Yes, I'm the baby in this photo. Click on frame for larger view.

Four summers ago, my dear friend Cathy and I were in her neighbor’s crabapple tree throwing fruit to her daughter below.  Greta was running from one ground-level spot to another, doing her best to keep up with the showering fruit.  “Look out beloooooow! Hey, Greta – come over here!” Cathy and I yelled quadrant commands for about 45 minutes until Greta had had enough.

“Hey, when do I get to climb UP THERE and YOU catch the fruit down HERE??”

Okay, that was fair.  We switched places.  Cathy and Greta were now pummeling fruit and I was the fetcher.  In an hour, we had filled a 5-gallon bucket about 80% full of sweet smelling, warm and perfectly ripe crabapples.  We were going to make jam.  We loaded up our accoutrements (ladder, rake, other buckets, hats, gloves) and headed to her home.

I had not canned since living at home as a little girl. That was back in the day of pressure cookers and freaky stories about jars exploding. I was feeling pretty insecure and was scared I would do something wrong.  I didn’t know how to prep the jars. I didn’t have a sense of what a rolling boil was or how to skim the foam from jam.  I certainly didn’t know how to hold the jars or fill them correctly, how tightly to screw on the rings, or what the sealing process was all about.  I needed my security blanket and teacher – hence, I was hanging out with Cathy and learning. A whole bunch.

Crabapple jam is a rosy, golden-pink hue and the taste is like the best sweetness summer has to offer.  Continue reading My Little Victory Garden: Canning With Fear, Friends, Fire and Frequency →

My Little Victory Garden

My Little Victory Garden…Became a Memorial Garden Garden

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I check my garden every day.  Most days it needs water; rarely has it needed weeding of late.  Even weeds react to the hot weather, I suppose.

Yesterday, Oklahoma broke its personal record for the most consecutive days over the 100 degree Fahrenheit mark.  So, yesterday when I was checking my garden I looked at it long and hard and thought to myself:

“Okay, tomato plants…are you going to make it ’till fall so you can produce again? Peppers, you look long and spindly and – barren.  Eggplants, oh hey – I have one eggplant…surprise! Out of the eight fall okra stalks I planted, two didn’t get eaten by worms.  We mi-i-i-ght have okra.”  This internal chatter was going on in my head as I walked the length of the garden, assessing what was left and whether or not I should turn on the sprinkler for a bit or just hand water.

I reached the end of my garden and stopped.  A few days ago I had planted three rows of Chinese long beans.  My carpool partner, Dr. Liu, had given me a bag of beans and I wanted to see how they grew.  Last week I had put my summer compost stock on the garden and so I gave the beans the “special” garden plot, all freshly renewed with black gold.  When I reached that section, however, not only were the long beans making progress but so was about 50-100…? They looked like cucumbers, watermelon, squash, or something similar.  So the count was like this: Long bean, 5-10 little mystery plants, long bean, 5-10 little mystery plants.  Looks like my black gold was full of vegetable seeds that held on through the cooking process.

It was evening, and I was staring at a good sized weeding job.  Or was I?  Did I need to pull these little plants up just yet?  I wasn’t sure.  As I was standing there looking across about 18 square feet of composted garden covered in tiny sprouts my mind wandered back to the news I had just watched on T.V.  Oklahoma was losing soldiers more frequently this last month and I was overcome with helpless, desperate grief.  That emotion was what compelled me to leave the living room and walk outside in the first place.

As I studied the hundreds of sprouts, in my mind they began to turn into the hundreds of white graves I sat among when I visited Arlington National Cemetery a few years ago.  Continue reading My Little Victory Garden…Became a Memorial Garden Garden →

My Little Victory Garden

My Little Victory Garden: Bacon Fat Pepper Sauce Popcorn? Yeah!

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It’s been a while since I’ve written a regular Victory Garden post.  I think I was too busy with my garden to write about my garden!  Practicing what I preach many times, I’m going to “break my work down into baby steps” by sharing ONE THING today.  What’s my one thing?  How to make an extremely low-cost, delicious-like-crazy snack for movie nights, times when you need comfort food or for a group of friends who could use a great side for their beer or soda pop. This is a “picture-story” post with a few comments here and there, so most all the instructions are in the photo captions…

Ingredients you'll need: bulk popping corn, "pepper sauce" (any type of vinegar with a cut up variety of peppers, marinated in the bottle at least overnight), and your saved bacon grease. Lard. Bacon fat...whatever you'd like to call it. To make my pepper sauce I pulled two jalepenos, about six Tabascos and a couple of Serrano chili peppers from my garden, diced them up and stuffed them into a 1/2 bottle of Champagne vinegar I had in my fridge.

Continue reading My Little Victory Garden: Bacon Fat Pepper Sauce Popcorn? Yeah! →

Homestead and Garden

Meanwhile, Back at The Ranch: Happy Birthday to M.E.

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Today is my birthday.  My husband tells me that I start celebrating it on the first of the month even though it’s actually on the last day of July.  This year I tried to narrow the celebration down to a three-day weekend.  No matter how long the party is, it is always going to involve friends, gifts, and flowers.

Friday was my last work-free day, so I invited a few teacher friends over to swim. Right after they arrived it started to rain.  No worries.  I had indoor activities planned: making homemade salsa from the vegetables in my garden and hulling purple hull peas.  At one point in the day, a friend told me she was going to start referring to me as “Mother Earth” or M.E. I’m not sure if this was before or after I cooked the purple hull peas we just hulled (flavored with a jalapeno pepper from my garden) for a little snack.

Garden Jewel
A gift for my garden: Beauty AND function.

My birthday celebration continued with a couple of gifts. Continue reading Meanwhile, Back at The Ranch: Happy Birthday to M.E. →

My Little Victory Garden

My Little Victory Garden: The Sweet Simplicity of Braiding Onions

I was introduced to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” books when I was eight years old.  Soon after, I began doodling on wide-ruled paper when day-dreams would overtake me.  In them, I was Laura and I was playing in the log cabin attic bedroom with my sister Mary.  We would cuddle our tiny corncob dolls while playing house, sitting on pumpkins for chairs.  Overhead, strands of dried onions would hang on every beam.  The detail of my drawings was only limited by the time I had for that particular sitting.  Since I was a farm girl and much of our lives revolved around storing food, preparing food, and growing food, I had found my literary heroine.

Thirty-nine years later, I still romanticize the annual rhythm of doing what I can with my own hands and my own earth to provide food for my family.  And one of these annual rituals includes harvesting onions twice a year, drying them, and braiding them into usable portions to either keep in the garage until those on my hook in the kitchen are gone, or give away to friends.  The process is easy, but I was taught. So in case you are just now at the point where you’d like to learn as well, here is a post to guide you.  Let’s begin, shall we? Continue reading My Little Victory Garden: The Sweet Simplicity of Braiding Onions →

My Little Victory Garden

My Little Victory Garden: Sweet Safari!

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Fallow deer, heading toward the feeding trough on Honey Hill Farm.

You know those stories that begin with one segment, then lead to another? And another. And…another? This is one of those stories.  Here’s how it started:

One of my first Victory Garden entries included a trip to my neighbor down the road, Crestview Farms.  I picked up some fresh eggs, some Honey Hill Farm local honey, and spoke with the owner about when her French Tarragon might be in.  I got home, unloaded my treasures, and noticed that the Honey Hill Farm label read: Edmond, OK.  How about that?  The beekeepers were ALSO neighbors.  I stashed that little nugget of information into the back of my brain and thought, “Okay, I’ll get there soon.” I wrote that post March 20th.

On June 20th, exactly 90 days later, Jerry Logan took a few hours out of his early morning schedule to show me just how it is that his bees do what they do.  And his deer run like they run, and his Scimitar oryx grow horns as beautiful and long as they grow them.  I appreciate Jerry’s willingness to let me ride along in his farm truck, in his camouflage utility vehicle and walk by his side as I learned all about how one thing led to another, and then another, until it became what it is today. Continue reading My Little Victory Garden: Sweet Safari! →

Foodie Page, Homestead and Garden

Little Victory Garden “Extra” – A Visual Guide to Making Red Sumac Lemonade

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I’m sitting here drinking my second glass of “Indian Lemonade” (aka Sumac Lemonade), taking sips between each photo I upload.  I have a history with trying to make sumac recipes and it’s not pretty.  The reasons were all the same: I was making hot drinks with the beautiful red berries and they just weren’t as good as the cold drinks.

I keep thinking one day I’ll learn to love hot sumac lemonade, but that’s a very low priority on my gastronomical intake list. Cold is good.  Cold is ESPECIALLY good in July when it’s so hot outside. And, I don’t need to keep rewriting the instructions when others have done such a nice job.  What I CAN do is provide you something I needed before I made mine this morning – visual aids!

I like to see how things work, and I couldn’t find a recipe with step by step photo guides.  So, I made you one.  Simply follow the recipe from the link I provided, and if you have questions you can check out these photos below.  I used a leftover juice carton and filled it with cold water so when we de-stemmed the berries a bit we could fill it up, then “shake, shake, shake” the carton until the vitamin C-laden red powder had infused the water.

The basic steps are simple. Gather the sumac, get rid of any bugs (I had to throw one away because there was a web woven all around the berries), de-stem and/or de-berry the sumac, place the berries in cold water, agitate the mixture like crazy, strain through a cheesecloth or clean tea towel, add sugar…enjoy. That was a long sentence for such “simple” steps. But really, the process is easy and kind of fun. My youngest daughter and her boyfriend helped me this morning with the project. Continue reading Little Victory Garden “Extra” – A Visual Guide to Making Red Sumac Lemonade →

Homestead and Garden, Oklahoma culture

Silent Sunday: Motes Farm, Stillwater, OK

Jim and Barbara Motes have a 20 acre-farm northeast of Stillwater, OK. Early in the morning, the sun shines across the tops of the corn tassels.
Beehives line a tree grove at the front of their space. It's always a good trade..."you pollinate my crops, I'll let the bees make their honey here."

Continue reading Silent Sunday: Motes Farm, Stillwater, OK →